Recently, during its third-quarter earnings call, Tesla announced that it has begun production of its self-developed new residential solar panels at its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York. The first batch of products is expected to be delivered to customers in the first quarter of 2026.
During the earnings call, Mike Snyder, Tesla’s Vice President of Energy and Charging, clarified that demand for residential solar in the United States is surging due to policy adjustments. He specifically referred to the Trump administration’s upcoming policy change to phase out the 30% federal tax credit for residential solar by the end of the year. “As we roll out our new solar leasing service, we expect this growth trend to continue into the first half of 2026,” Snyder emphasized.
This production plan aligns with Tesla’s earlier announcement this month to restart its solar leasing services. Tesla previously acknowledged that restarting the leasing service is a business decision aimed at capitalizing on the policy window. The new modules now in production are described as “featuring industry-leading aesthetics and shaded performance.”
It is worth noting that Tesla’s “self-developed” solar modules have a history of outsourcing. Public information shows that although Tesla has long claimed to develop its own technology, its earlier products were briefly manufactured by Panasonic at the Buffalo factory before switching to rebranded modules from Korean company Hanwha Group.
The market recently noticed that Tesla has updated the power rating of its solar modules on its official website from 405W to 410W, a specification that exactly matches the Q.PEAK DUO ML-G10+ model from Hanwha’s Qcells brand. It is currently unclear whether this updated specification refers to the newly announced self-developed modules or an upgraded version of the existing rebranded products. Tesla has not provided further clarification on this matter.
The launch of this production initiative coincides with a recovery period for Tesla’s solar business. Last year, the company’s solar installation volume hit a low, and it even stopped disclosing related data. Industry analysts believe that whether the combination of policy incentives and in-house production can reverse this decline will depend on product delivery quality and market feedback.
